Toxicity profile of temozolomide in the treatment of 300 malignant glioma patients in Korea

This study evaluated the toxicity profiles of temozolomide in the treatment of malignant glioma as either concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 300 malignant glioma patients treated with temozolomide in two medical institutions in Korea between 2004 and 2010. Two hundred nine patients experienced a total of 618 toxicities during temozolomide therapy. A total of 84.8% of the 618 toxicities were Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 1 or 2, while 15.2% were grade 3 or 4. Among the hematologic toxicities, thrombocytopenia (13.7%), anemia (11.0%), and AST/ALT increases (7.0%) were common. Among the non-hematologic toxicities, nausea (44.3%), vomiting (37.0%), and anorexia (14.3%) were the three most common toxicities. There was no mortality due to temozolomide. Although temozolomide showed many types of toxicities, the majority of the toxicities were tolerable and of lower grade. Gastrointestinal troubles are the most common toxicities in Korean patients treated with temozolomide.